Steering-gear for motor-carriages.



No. 715,302. Patented Dec. Q,v i902. H. A. scnnvvngge F. c. MARCH.STEERING GEAR FOR MOTUR CARBIAGES.

(Application led Mar. 8, 1902.)

(llo Mndel.)

NvENToRS.

UNITED STAri-s ATENT Ormes.

HENRY A. SOHRYVER AND FRED O. MARCH, OF WARREN, OHIO.

STEERING-G EAR FOR MOTO R-CARRIAG ES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 715,302, dated December9, 1902.

Application iiled March 8, 1902. Serial No. 97.292. (No model.)

To alt r11/tom it may concern.-

Beit known that we, HENRY A. Sonavvnn and FRED O. MARGH, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Warren, in the county of Trumbull and Stateof Ohio, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements inSteering- Gears for Motor-Oarriages, of which the following is aspecification.

Figure I is a plan view of the steering arrangements of a motor-carriageto which our steering-gear is applied. Fig. II is a section taken on theline II II of Fig. III. Fig. III is a section taken on the line III IIIof Fig. II.

Our invention relates to steering mechanism of the practicallyirreversible or locked type adapted to automobiles or other vehicles orto vessels.

We do not confine our invention to the steering of automobiles, as thesame is applicable to the rudder of a boat or to vehicles generally.

The objects of our invention are to simplify and cheapen steeringmechanisms and to render them more compact and light.

In the steering mechanism of an automobile it is desirable that theoperating Wheel or handle turn through a larger arc to produce a givenangular motion of thesteering- Wheels when the vehicle is pursuing acourse straight forward or varying but slightly from such a course thanwhen the angularity of the steering-wheels is near maximum, as inturning sharp corners. High speeds are attempted only on straight orapproximately straight courses. I-n order that the operator may havemore perfect control of his vehicle, he needs greater leverage on hissteering- Wheels at high than at low speeds. We supply this need in apractical manner, enabling the operator to guide his vehicle with greataccuracy, steadiness, and safety at high speeds Without increasing theamount of turning of the operating Wheel or handle necessary to producethe maximum angular motion of the steering-Wheels.

In our steering mechanism we have provided for an acceleration of theangular movement of the steering-Wheels as the operating wheel or handleis moved farther and farther from its central or normal position. Thus alarger motion is given to the steering-Wheels as the operating wheel orhandle reaches its limits than when the Wheel or handle starts from itsnormal position or is moving only a short distance therefrom. Thislessons liability of accident when running very fast on straightcourses, since a larger relative movement of the operating wheel orhandle is necessary to make a change in the course. lf a slight movementof the handle would make a great change from the straight-ahead course,there would be danger at high speeds of the vehicle becomingunmanageable and running into other vehicles or obstacles before theangularity of the steering-wheels could be changed to avoid the danger.Sharp corners are not turned at high speeds. Hence a slight change inthe angular movement of the operating-handle can safely make a largechange of angularity in the steering-Wheels. This also serves toeconomize space.

In the drawings, l represents the steeringshaft to which thesteering-handle 2 is secured. Fixed on this shaft is the spur-gear 3,which meshes with the pinion 4, whose number of teeth is fewer than thatof gear 3. Pinion 4 meshes with and has travel along iixed arcshapedrack 5, situated beyond and concentric with the gear 3.

Having bearing against the hubr of gear 8 is a sleeve 6, loose on theshaft 1. The sleeve has, preferably, integral therewith the radial arm7, provided with a radial slot 8 opposite the space between gear 3 andrack 5. The pinion 4 is provided with a pin 9, which extends into slot 8and is journaled in a slide 10, having travel radially in a slot 8. Thisp pin is preferably eccentric tothe pinion, and

when the latter is at the center b of the rack the pin should preferablybe on that side of the center of the pinion which is farthest from theshaft l, the center of the shaft, the pinion, and the pin being in astraight line.

The gear 3, pinion 4, rack 5, arm 7, pin 9, and slide 10 are inclosed ina dust-proof oiltight casing composed of top plate or cover 1l andbottom plate l2, provided with iiange 13, on the top of which iiange theplate 11 is secured by means of bolts 14. The shaft l has bearing in aiianged opening in the plate 1l, and the hub of the sleeve 6 has bearingin a ianged opening in the plate 12. Keyed to the sleeve 6 outside ofthe casing is a radial arm 15, held on the sleeve by means of nuts IOOpossible.

16. A nut 17 is screwed on the shaft l and against the nuts 16. Theouter end of the arm 15 has secured therein a downwardlyextending pin18, which is seated in the eye 19 in a section of the link 20. This linkis composed of three sections, the extremes of which consist of castings21, provided with eyes 19 and forks 22. The middle section 23 isprovided with tongues 24, pivoted in the forks 22, so as to permitvertical movement of the castings 2l. The steering-wheels 25 are mountedupon knuckles or steering-spindles 26 and 27, connected by the link 28and journaled at the ends of a cross-bar or axle 29. The casting 2lfarthest from the steering-arm 15 is pivotally secured to the end of theknuckle 26, the link 28 being connected to such knuckle between thecasting 21 and the axis of the knuckle.

It will be seen that any movement of the operating-handle 2 will impartangular movement to the steering-wheels 25. The movement of the latterwill not be uniform with the movement of the former, but will beretarded and accelerated as the handle moves from the normal or centralposition in the manner now to be explained.

Suppose the shaft 1 to be turned to the right in Fig. II. The gear 3will roll the pinion along the rack 5 toward the right. The center a. ofthe pin 9 will at starting move slower to the right than the center @ofthe pinion 4, as a large part of the movement of center c will beradially in the slot 8. The center a will lose in right-hand movementon-the center a until the center a is on the path of travel of thecenter a. The centers a and a will then have the positions a2 and a3,respectively. Further movement of the pinion to the right brings thecenter a so as to travel in the same direction at the lower half of thepinion. Hence the center a will gain on the center a. The positions a4and a5 represent the positions of the centers a and a', respectively,when center a' is between center a and the center of the shaft 1. I-Ierethe center a has overtaken center a. Further movement of the pinion willplace the center a in advance of center a. As the right-hand motion ofcenter a is transmitted to the steering-wheels 25 it will be seen thatthere is an acceleration of the steering-wheels in relation to themotion of the operating wheel or handle 2 after the latter has moved thesteering wheels slightly from their straight-ahead course. With theparts in the position shown in Fig. vII any reversal or twisting of thesteeringwheels by obstructions will be practically im- The force tendingto reversal will be transmitted through the steering knuckles, link 20,and arm 15 to the arm 7. The force applied to arm 7 will be received bythe pin 9. The point b becomes the fulcrum of the pinion considered as alever, the long arm being the diameter of the pinion and the short armbeing the distance of center ct from point b. The free end of this leveris locked by the gear 3, Ithe latter in turn being held by thesteering-handle 2, which 'is long relatively to the radius of gear 3.The steering mechanism is therefore practically irreversible by anyforce applied to the steering-wheels.

Throughout the specification reference has been made to angular changesof the steering-Wheels, by which is meant the change of the angle madeby the wheels relative to the axle or cross-bar 29.

In the claims the shaft 1 is described as moving to or from a definitepoint. This point is definite, since it is determined by the position ofthe centers a and a', as above described.

The drawingsillustrate onlyone formwhich our invention may assume, andas our invention may be modified in some of its parts we do not desireto be restricted to the precise form shown,except where specificallyclaimed.

Having described our invention,we claim- 1. In a steering mechanism, asteeringshaft, steering wheels, and intermediate mechanism connected tosaid shaft and wheels, the rotation of said shaft from its normalposition to a delinite point producing retarded angular movement of thesteeringwheels.

2. In a steering mechanism, a steeringshaft, steering wheels, andintermediate mechanism connected to said shaft and wheels, the rotationof said shaft from its normal position to a definite point producingretarded angular movement of the steeringwheels and the rotation of saidshaft beyond said point producing accelerated angular movement of saidwheels.

3. In a steering mechanism, a steeringshaft, steering-wheels, agear-wheel on the shaft, an externally-toothed rotatable pinion meshingwith the gear-wheel, and connections from the pinion to thesteering-wheels, the rotation of said shaft from a definite pointproducing accelerated angular movement of the steering-wheels.

4. In a steering mechanism, a steeringshaft, steering-wheels, agear-wheel secured to the shaft, an externally-toothed rotatable pinionmeshing with the gear-wheel, a rack meshing with said pinion andconnections from the pinion to `the steering-wheels, the

rotation of said shaft from a definite point producing acceleratedangular movement of the steering-wheels.

5. In a steering mechanism, a steeringshaft, steering-wheels, agear-wheel secured to the shaft, an externally-toothed rotatable pinionmeshing with the gear-wheel, a pin carried by the pinion and an armconnected to the steering-wheels and the pin.

6. In a steering mechanism, a steeringshaft, steering-wheels, agear-wheel connected to the shaft, a pinion meshing with the gear-wheeland provided with an eccentricpin, and an arm connected to thesteeringwheels and the pin.

7. In a steering mechanism, a steering- IOO IIO

shaft, steering-wheels, a gear-wheel connected to the shaft, a pinionmeshing with the gear-Wheel and provided With an eccentricpin, a iixedrack meshing with the pinion, and an arm associated Wi th the pin andconnected to the steering-wheels.

8. In a steering mechanism, a steeringshaft, steering-Wheels, agear-Wheel connected to the' shaft, a pinion meshing with the gear-Wheeland provided with a pin, a iixed rack meshing with the pinion, and anarm associated with the pin and connected to the steering-Wheels. 4

9. In a steering mechanism, a steeringshaft, steering-Wheels,intermediate mechanism connected to said shaft and wheels, the rotationof said shaft from its normal position to a definite point producingretarded angular movement of the steering-wheels, and a dust-proof,oil-tight casing for said intermediate mechanism.

10. In a steering mechanism, a steeringshaft, steering-Wheels,intermediate mechanism connected to said shaft and wheels, the rotationof said shaft from its normal position to a definite point producingretarded angular movement of the steering-Wheels and the rotation ofsaid shaft beyond said point producing accelerated angular movement ofsaid Wheels, and a dust-proof, oil-tight casing for said intermediatemechanism.

Il. In a steering mechanism, a steeringshaft, steering-wheels, agear-Wheel lon the shaft, a pinion meshing with the gear-Wheel,connections from the pinion to the steering- Wheels, the rotation ofsaid shaft from a deflnite point producing accelerated angular movementof the steering-Wheels, and a dustproof, oil-tight casing for saidgear-wheel, pinion, and connections.

12. In a steering mechanism, a steeringshaft, steering-Wheels, a concavetrack, a gear-Wheel cooperating with the track, a second gear-wheelcooperating With the first gear- Wheel, one of the said gear-wheelsbeing connected with the said shaft and the other with thesteering-wheels.

Signed at Warren, Ohio, this 26th day of February, 1902.

HENRY A. SGHRYVER. FRED C. MARCH. Witnesses:

J. W. MARCH, F. G. BROWN.

